“She agreed to dinner if Jesse would let her stay. She didn’t have a choice, Trav,” America said. I could tell by the cautious tone of her voice that Travis was beyond angry.
I peered up at him, and he glowered at me with the same betrayed expression Mick had on his face the night he realized I’d taken his luck.
“You had a choice.”
“Have you ever dealt with the mob, Travis? I’m sorry if your feelings are hurt, but a free meal with an old friend isn’t a high price to pay to keep Mick alive.”
I could see that Travis wanted to lash out at me, but there was nothing he could say.
“C’mon you guys, we have to find Benny,” America said, pulling me by the arm.
Travis and Shepley followed behind in silence as we walked down The Strip to Benny’s building. The traffic—both cars and people on the thoroughfare—were just beginning to concentrate. With each step, I felt a sick, hollow feeling in my stomach, my mind racing to think of a compelling argument to make Benny see reason. By the time we knocked on the large green door I had seen so many times before, I had come up as short as my bank roll.
It wasn’t a surprise to see the enormous doorman—black, frightening, and as wide as he was tall—but I was stunned to see Benny standing beside him.
“Benny,” I breathed.
“My, my...you’re not Lucky Thirteen anymore, now, are ya? Mick didn’t tell me what a looker you’ve grown into. I’ve been waiting for you, Cookie. I hear you have a payment for me.”
I nodded and Benny gestured to my friends. I lifted my chin to feign confidence. “They’re with me.”
“I’m afraid your companions will have to wait outside,” the doorman said in an abnormally deep bass tone.
Travis immediately took me by the arm. “She’s not going in there alone. I’m coming with her.”
Benny eyed Travis and I swallowed. When Benny looked up to his doorman and the corners of his mouth turned up, I relaxed a bit.
“Fair enough,” Benny said. “Mick will be glad to know you have such a good friend with you.”
I followed him inside, turning to see the worried look on America’s face. Travis kept a firm grip on my arm, purposefully standing between me and the doorman. We followed Benny into an elevator, traveled up four floors in silence, and then the doors opened.
A large mahogany desk sat in the middle of a vast room. Benny hobbled to his plush chair and sat down, gesturing for us to take the two empty seats facing his desk. When I sat down, the leather felt cold beneath me, and I wondered how many people had sat in that same chair, moments from their death. I reached over to grab Travis’ hand, and he gave me a reassuring squeeze.
“Mick owes me twenty-five thousand. I trust you have the full amount,” Benny said, scribbling something on a notepad.
“Actually,” I paused, clearing my throat, “I’m five-k short, Benny. But I have all day tomorrow to get that. And five thousand is no problem, right? You know I’m good for it.”
“Abigail,” Benny said, frowning, “You disappoint me. You know my rules better than that.”
“P…Please, Benny. I’m asking you to take the nineteen-nine and I’ll have the rest for you tomorrow.”
Benny’s beady eyes darted from me to Travis and then back again. It was then that I noticed two men take a step forward from the shadowed corners of the room. Travis’ grip on my hand grew tighter, and I held my breath.
“You know I don’t take anything but the full-amount. The fact that you’re trying to hand me less tells me something. You know what it tells me? That you’re not sure if you can get the full amount.”
The men from the corners took another step forward.
“I can get your money, Benny,” I giggled nervously. “I won eighty-nine hundred in six hours.”
“So are you saying you’ll bring me eighty-nine hundred in six more hours?” Benny smiled his devilish grin.
“The deadline isn’t until midnight tomorrow,” Travis said, glancing behind us and then watching the approaching shadow men.
“W…What are you doing, Benny?” I asked, my posture rigid.